Lesotho: The Decline of Kings

Buganda's King "Freddy" Mutesa, 42, lost his palaceand
nearly his lifelast May. Burundi booted out its boy ruler, Ntare V,
last month. Last week monarchic malaise infected Africa's newest
nation, three-month-old Lesotho (formerly Basutoland), a country of
900,000 that is completely surrounded by South Africa.

The crisis was brought to a head by Oxford-educated Constantine Bereng
Seeiso Moshoeshoe II, 28, who was left little more than a figurehead
monarch by his country's new constitution. As the namesake and
great-grandson of the founder of Basutoland, Moshoeshoe (pronounced...